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SAG-AFTRA Allowing Members to Resume Work at Movie Marketing Company, With a Condition (Exclusive)

The notice regarding the Cimarron Group requires that union members be prepaid before they work -- an unusual provision.

SAG-AFTRA has issued a notice on its website permitting its members to once again work for Cimarron Productions Inc., also known as the Cimarron Group, completing the resolution of a Do Not Work order issued Thursday against the entertainment marketing company. The authorization was expected, as the union and the company had announced an agreement Friday.

Thursday’s order had stated that the company had “fail(ed) to make payments of compensation due to many performers as well as pension and health contributions.” The next day, just hours after The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that an order had been issued, the parties announced an agreement and said that a check had been delivered to the union.

A union spokeswoman told THR on Friday that the check was an “initial payment,” but the amount of the payment was not disclosed.

In an unusual move, the Return to Work notice contains an condition: members may render services to the company only if they’re paid first. The website emphasizes: “SAG-AFTRA MEMBERS MAY NOW PROVIDE SERVICES TO THIS COMPANY -- PRE-PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR ALL NEW WORK.”

The company declined to comment.

Cimarron was founded in 1979 and produces a wide array of audiovisual, print and digital content, including brand advertising and behind-the-scenes videos for major studio films. The company has more than 150 employees, with offices in Los Angeles, Beijing and Singapore, according to LinkedIn and a Businessweek database.

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